'Certified sustainable' beef standards include ensuring animals have adequate feed and access to drinking water and that they endure minimal stress and pain

McDonald’s Canada says more than 20 million of its Angus burgers will be sourced according to the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef standards over the next 12 months.Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo files

TORONTO — McDonald’s Canada says it will be the first Canadian company to acquire beef that is “certified sustainable” according to standards outlined by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).

The chain says more than 20 million of its Angus burgers will be sourced according to the CRSB standards over the next 12 months.

Those standards include ensuring animals have adequate feed and access to drinking water and that they endure minimal stress and pain.

Farmer and ranchers must also manage grasslands and grazing in a way that maintains or improves soil health and protects watersheds.

McDonald’s Canada says it gets 100 per cent of the beef for its hamburgers from Canadian ranches and farms, primarily in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

This move comes about a month after the chain began selling bagels at all of its Canadian locations to woo breakfast diners.

“Consumers are increasingly inquisitive about the food they’re eating and want to know it was produced in a socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound manner,” said Cherie Copithorne-Barnes, a rancher and chairwoman of the CRSB.

“As we all strive to make continuous improvements, it’s important to recognize achievements made along the way.”